Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
by seasaltmemories
Summary: Collection of works for Zarcray week
1. First Meetings

_One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four._

Ray counted with a steady beat. She could do this. No need to lose her head. Regardless, her body didn't seem to get the memo and refused to calm down.

She wasn't completely new to the pro dueling scene. Already she had a handful of exhibition wins under her belt. Still the fact remained this was her first time at a dueling convention this large. The best from across the country would all be gathered here.

 _Just remember Ray, this isn't like some tournament, just a couple of scrimmages. Even if you fail miserably at least it won't go on your permanent record._

With that slightly less negative thought, Ray stepped into the arena to met her opponent. A man in a tan jacket with a blue collar seemed to be milling around on the other side. Without further ado, Ray hurried to introduce herself first and get things over with.

"Hey, looks like we'll be facing each other first. My name's Ray." She gave a big smile, hoping he didn't ask for a surname.

"Morning, I'm Zarc," He spoke with a slight, rural accent. "I'm looking forward to our match today."

They went through the rest of the standard protocol, deciding on whether to do tournament style life points or not, who would go first, and that like. Honestly they were dull matters, but it helped Ray convert all that nervous energy into something more useful. She could do this.

The robotic voice signaled things were about to begin, and Ray strapped her goggles on.

"Duel!"

"Alright, I guess I'll start! Since I have no monsters on the field I can special summon Dragon Slayer Beowulf. Then I activate the spell, Double Summon to bring out Dragon Slayer Sigurd and sacrifice those two to summon Odd Eyes Dragon!" As the red beast began to materialize, he leaped on its back. A rather strange action, but Ray was more concerned counting up the attack points that thing had. "I think we made a good enough impression with that Odd Eyes. I set one card face-down and end my turn. Let's see what this charming lady can do," He shot a cheeky grin in her direction.

It wasn't worth the effort to roll her eyes when he couldn't see them, so Ray simply drew. He was acting like some kind of hotshot, but she could bring the heat just as well.

"My turn! I summon Natural Guardian Sharp Ears," As soon as the little fox appeared it began squealing and blathering away. Ray had to hold back a sigh.

 _"So big, so big, scary monster!"_ It curled itself up, covering its face with the flame on the end of its tail.

 _Why'd they even program those lines in again?_

Nevertheless, Ray tried to sport a confident smile of her own. Sure summoning a 100 attack points monster in response to that 2,500 attack points dragon looked crazy, but she did have a plan.

"Battle! Sharp Ears attacks Odd Eyes!" She pointed dramatically, but her monster refused to move.

 _"So big, so scary!"_ The fox began to cry small sparks.

"Seems like your monster's better at dueling than you are." Zarc smirked.

It was easy bait, but Ray couldn't help but lose her temper at his comment. With a groan, she scooped up Sharp Ears in her arms. "Sharp Ears attacks Odd Eyes!" She threw the fox with all might.

Golden eyes widened in surprise. Whether from the fact she was really going through with the attack, or because a flying, flaming fox was coming his way, it was hard to tell. Whatever the reason, he couldn't activate his set card fast enough.

"I activate the trap, No Entry! All monsters in attack mode switch to defense mode." Zarc leaned forward and caught Sharp Ears before it could hit Odd Eyes. "There you go little buddy. I don't know what your duelist was thinking."

"Obviously you knew, if you stopped my combo."

"I don't care about whatever combo you had planned. The monster was clearly scared. It was cruel to force her to attack."

"Look she's just programmed to say those lines. Why are you getting so worked up about this?" Ray couldn't help but arch an eyebrow in confusion.

"Wait a sec, you said you heard her too?" In a flash he climbed off Odd Eyes and ran to her side, all while carrying Sharp Ears like an American football. "You can hear the monster's voices?"

Ray reacted in the most natural way she could. She stared at him like he had grown a second head.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Let's talk about this somewhere else," He unattached his duel disk, causing their monsters to fade away. "Can I buy a drink or something? Because I think we might take a while!"

* * *

 **A.N. I hope y'all are thankful for that duel bc you're not getting another one out of me (at least not for a long time) still I had this dork Ray in my head I had to get out**


	2. Enemies

"It would be easy if I hated you." Ray announces with as much passion as she would if she was simply reading off a grocery list.

"Splitting someone into fourth's isn't usually what I think of affection." Zarc drawls, not even opening his eyes. So far his nap ranks higher than whatever weird, halfhearted apology she intends to give.

"Pfft, it doesn't take hate to simply want to protect your world. If I had really hated you I would have stopped you earlier."

"Am I supposed to thank you for delaying my demise?"

"Look, does it hurt to just let me talk?" He feels a sudden weight on his stomach now, and he can't help but open his eyes long enough to spy that Ray has decided his stomach apparently makes a good pillow. "I just feel like I'm always chasing you. For better or worse, I can never stop."

He wants to scoff because he's the one who's first chased her back in the original dimension. Then he had only dreamed of one day being able to duel on her level as rivals. In hindsight he almost wonders if it was always fate that they would become archenemies like this.

"What do you plan to do when you catch me?" He skims his hand across her the thin bit of skin her shirt leaves exposed.

"I don't know," Before he can draw back his hand, she grabs it and begins toying with each finger one by one. "Maybe shake some sense into you? Try to get you to stop being so myopic. I used to think we had a chance to go back to how things were before. That we could be…"

 _Happy_

The word hangs heavy in the air, but neither of them dare to say it. If they named it, what little joy they had managed to recover would fly away from their reach as they plunged into the same cycle over and over again.

"Pfft, you're not much better than a dog going after their own tail." Despite his harsh words, Zarc's touch is feather-light.

They're not sure what to exactly call this. Neither has offered nor accepted any form of forgiveness or redemption. Still in this dreamy sort of purgatory they share, it is difficult to hold onto those intense, negative feelings.

Maybe they're doomed to always face each other at some point or another. Maybe this is just a short break before the fighting begins once more. Even so, Zarc can't help but muse that he'd be fine to have her chase him until the end of time itself.


	3. Role Reversal

Normally Zarc respected Ray's decision to keep their relationship private, but right then he couldn't give a rat's ass if the entire world knew-including her father.

He had never taken her to his place before, partly because of shame for his messy quarters, and the other part just out of sheer inconvenience most of the time. Still Zarc couldn't find it in himself to care about the unwashed plates or the stacks of clothes piled in a corner. All his concern was focused on Ray's state at the moment.

"Just wait here." As gently as he could without slowing down, he guided her over to his couch. While she complied easily enough, the glazed over look in her eyes was hardly comforting. It killed him to have to leave her, but the blood covering the side of her head couldn't be left unattended.

As Zarc searched through every inch of the drawers and cabinets, he couldn't stop the string of curses that left his lips. Damn it, he had never been good about taking care of himself, and now it was coming back to bite him in the ass. Damn it, damn it, damn it. Who knew it was so hard to find a simple package of band-aids?

He eventually settled on grabbing a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a washcloth. In a flash, he was back at Ray's side and tending to her as best as he could.

"Stay with me, Ray. Stay with me." He drowned the washcloth in the alcohol before dabbing at her temple. "Just stay with me, that's all you have to do."

Purple eyes continued to stare off into the distance, as if Zarc was transparent. It terrified him to the core. Damn it, damn it, damn it. He didn't know what he would do next if she had stayed like that, but thankfully she began to speak.

"I hurt someone..." Her voice cracked, like a china doll thrown against the ground. "I thought I had better control by now...that I could make people smile instead of cower in fear."

"Ray, this isn't your fault. That fucker attacked you in the first place, he-"

"He's the one who's going home in an ambulance."

"Ray," He forced her to look him in the eye as he cupped her face. "Don't think about all that right now. Just focus on me. Stay with me." He closed his eyes as he touched his forehead to hers. "That's all you have to do."

For a beat or two there was only the sound of them breathing. Then tentatively, Ray moved to kiss him with a desperation he wasn't used to feeling from her. He would have never described her as submissive, but now she seemed determined to to erase what little space there was between them. It was only when they broke apart did he register Ray was straddling him as she pinned him flat against the couch.

Zarc's heartbeat raced at their positions. He wanted to ignore the day's events and get lost in her, but before he could continue any further, he felt something wet splash across his face.

"I can't, Zarc.." Ray, Ray who would stood up to her personal demons with a steady gaze, who lit up a Duel Arena with her smile, who was the strongest person he knew, was crying. "No matter what I do all I can see is the blood."

She broke down into sobs at that, chest heaving uncontrollably. All Zarc could do was stroke her hair uselessly as he pulled her into his embrace and whispered as many soothing platitudes he could think of. Still despite his gentle words, one burning thought consumed his being.

 _No one will be able to hurt her again without receiving twice her pain._


	4. In Another World

The crown on your head may be heavy, yet it holds no true weight. As much as you are Queen, you are also Prisoner too.

Still he tries to make you forget that second title whenever he can. He bathes you in gifts of all types, jewels of the finest cuts, dresses of the softest fabrics. He gets more giddy over them than you do, bouncing up and down like a child as he bestows them to you. He swears everyday as he combs your hair and styles it into regal braids that you will never want nor lack a single thing.

But how can that be true when what you desire is the wind and the trees? The birds and life-the world you knew, not this dead wasteland. He can't understand your desire at all. You see in it his eyes. They're so bright and inhuman now. Whenever you try to bring it up in a round-about way, they glaze over and go blank. He can't understand and likely never will.

You stopped going outside once you realized that. It's not your world anymore. A part of you wishes it was, even in it's decay. Still he is determined to make him your world, and slowly, bit by bit, it's working. Days are spent in a dreamy haze, wandering empty halls that never seem to end.

His palace is as equally otherworldly as he is. When he first brought you here, he told you that you were the first human to ever lay eyes on it. It was the first time your heart broke since your father's death. He didn't consider himself human anymore, but then you're not sure if your human yourself at this point. You go weeks without remembering to eat, breathing is something you must remind yourself to do, and pain is a sensation you can't feel even when you scratch your skin so hard it bleeds. The palace must be turning you. Or maybe you're just going mad. It's difficult to tell which option is more comforting.

It doesn't matter to him though. He is as blind to your suffering as he is to any other detail that doesn't fit perfectly into his fantasy. After getting you dressed in the morning, he leaves. Where to, you hardly know. It's hard to believe there's any more of the planet left for him to destroy, but perhaps he has moved on to other planes of existences. Whatever the case, he returns by evening and rambles on about events that have transpired years ago and people that are long dead. There's something about the domesticity he craves. It's when he's his most human and most inhuman. As much as a mockery it is, sometimes you get wrapped in the past and imagine you're in love with him again.

When he catches sight of that misplaced emotion, it's like time stops. Without you even realizing it, he inches closer and closer until he's embracing you with a vice-like grip.

He'll leave trails of kisses down your neck and whisper sweet nothings as his hot breath ghosts across your ear, but in the end he will always hold back. He never pushes you more than you allow. Those eyes will only stare into your soul, longing for the same passion to be returned.

On your good days, you'll remember the man you love is dead, a hollow shell possessed by this demon. You'll stand firm and resist his temptations, and when he understands this, he'll tuck you into your bed, press his lips gently to your forehead and bid you goodnight.

On your bad days, you pull him by the collar and kiss him hungerly on the lips. And he all but growls in delight as he weaves his hands through your hair and draws you even closer. For a while you let the pleasure drown out everything else.

You know he adores you, all but gets down on his knees and worships you. And maybe if you were stronger you'd crush his heart the minute he placed it in your hands. Maybe if you were smarter you'd pull at his strings and make him dance to your own personal tune. But you are neither of those things. You are tired and broken and barely breathing at this point.

"I'll never let them lay a finger on you again," He sighs into your skin, "No one shall tarnish our paradise."

You try to hold back the sobs that threaten to spill.

* * *

 **A.N. Darker and more experimental than usual, but hey I guess I can officially join the "long-time fanfic writer club" by using 2nd person now!**


	5. AU

Life under his new mistress was different than Zarc had expected.

Though to be fair, he hadn't exactly known what to expect after his master had been executed for sticking his nose a bit too far in places he shouldn't have. A gladiator without a sponsor was useless, and he had figured his only option to retire to a peaceful yet boring life.

He hadn't figured the Empress of the entire Roman Empire would pay him a personal visit.

She had looked at him with the calculated gaze he had grown used to seeing from her-purple eyes that were more like cut amethysts, sharp and deadly. It was the gaze she always had worn when challenging him to greater and greater feats-much preferable to the irritated look she wore once he had surpassed those feats without breaking a sweat. While her words were wrapped up in a chilling and impersonal politeness, those eyes had communicated all he had needed to know.

So Zarc had transformed from Roger's champion in the Colosseum to the Empress' personal guard. While he no longer wrestled lions barehanded there was plenty of excitement to go around in his new position.

The first was the obvious. If being Emperor meant having a permanent bull's eyes plastered on your forehead, then being a female one was like adding a bounty to the mix. When the assassination attempts were less subtle than a poisoning, it was his job to get her to safety and stop the attacker in the quickest way possible. It usually wasn't very fun, but the constant need for alertness provided an interesting test of wills.

The second was less expected but not entirely outside his job description. When she gathered enough evidence for her liking, Zarc would be tasked with nipping a future problem in the bud. While going after a target was fun, especially when he was given the liberty to chose the method of killing them, there was rarely any tension to the mission. Few could even hold a candle to his fighting prowess, even if he had wanted to go easy on them.

The third was the least expected but Zarc would be lying if said he had walked into the job without knowing it would happen. During nights, she would guide him to her bed as she rubbed her hands all across his body in tantalizing slow motions. Soft lips would brush across his skin and make his heart stutter so violently he'd fear it'd stop completely. Still if tried to caress any of the pale skin her toga had slipped away to reveal, she'd pull away with a weary sigh. His job was to look, not touch-unless given explicit permission. For all the games that he had participated in, this one was no doubt the hardest. Thankfully it seemed to cause her just as much a strain, and it wouldn't be long before he could taste her as much as he pleased.

There was a strange intimacy they shared. Even with her body bared to him, there were walls she always kept guarded. He was allowed to say her name when caught in the heat of a climax, (Ray-he moaned it as if she was a goddess. Regardless of her position he somehow knew he'd always utter it with the same reverence.) but she flinched if he used it on any other occasion. In the mysterious dreaminess of midnight she had revealed herself to have been her father's murder, yet she still hid tears whenever she visited his tomb. The most startling contradiction had come when in the haze of the afterglow he had felt cold steel against throat.

Whatever pleasure that remained was soon forgotten when he looked to see her glare at him with animosity usually reserved for only the most traitorous of her subordinates.

"I know about the offer Sanders gave you for my head," Her words were just as sharp as the dagger in her hand. "And I want you to know that if you even _think_ of following through with a proposal of that type, that I won't hesitate to dispose of you as well."

As dangerous as the position was, Zarc couldn't concentrate on anything except the way the shadows framed her face in the most delicate ways as her wine-colored hair cascaded over his chest. Somehow she seemed even more beautiful when deadly like this.

Then he did a dangerous thing.

He laughed.

He laughed despite the feeling of the dagger sink ever so slightly into his skin. He laughed despite her confused expression and his exhausted state.

"Now why would I ever think of such a thing?" He arched an eyebrow as a smirk began to spread across his face. "I want to win this game fair and square."

His comment made her remove her dagger from his neck for a beat, but it was enough time for him to lean forward and capture her lips with his once more. As he tangled his hand through her hair, he heard the clatter of the dagger being dropped. Still soon it was completely forgotten when she raked her nails across his back and began sending shivers down his spine.

This was like how things used to be. Even though she no longer studied his battles from high above with that intense gaze of hers, Zarc still understood the challenge all the same. Whether it was to see who would break first, who would let themselves fall in love, or so other trial unknown to them both, he knew he couldn't turn her down if he wanted to.

As much as he hated to end his winning streak, losing to her might be more pleasurable in the end.

* * *

 **A.N. I was planning to end on my In Another World entry, but blame my friend and her Rome AU she suggested**


	6. Follow the Leader

Ray gasped as she wiped the sweat from her brow. The dance studio was empty, but she still flushed more from shame rather than exertion. Even without a partner, she had stumbled through the steps like a klutz. At this rate it would take a year before she stopped stepping on people's toes.

After complaining about needing to get more exercise, she hadn't expected Reiji to respond by gifting her a membership to Maiami Dance. While she knew Asuka taught ballroom there, dancing had never been her thing. Still a gift was a gift, and being best friends with an instructor would make it easier for her, wouldn't it? Why should she have passed up the chance?

The answer soon became clear after a few weeks of lessons: she was a terrible dancer.

At first Ray have blamed it on just being new to the activity. But as the other students moved on from the basic steps, she still couldn't wrap her head around the idea of a box-step. Second, she could have blamed the partner she had been assigned, but that would ignore the fact they rotated partners near constantly, and even when Asuka herself lead, Ray still had two left feet. Third, she had just hoped that maybe waltz just wasn't her dance, but even though cha-cha was entirely different, Ray still couldn't get the tempo right.

Honestly, she doubted Asuka would be too hurt if she went ahead and threw in the towel, but the idea of just giving up after so long didn't sit right with her. Akaba's weren't quitters, and they certainly weren't able to skill she saw eight year-olds accomplish with ease.

Unfortunately as she continued to review the same steps over and over again, maybe she did need some training wheels of sorts.

"Don't think I've ever seen someone try and dance both parts at the same time."

Ray swiveled around to face the voice so quickly, she nearly fell smack on her face. Standing in the doorway was Asuka's partner, Zarc.

She had meet him before in passing, but outside the studio when going out with Asuka or inside when he popped by class. For their ease with shit-talking each other, they were acquaintances at best, knowing little about each other's personal life. Still Ray knew three important facts.

1\. He was hot.

2\. He was single.

3\. The last thing she wanted was to look like a fool in front of him and give him more ammo.

But she also knew she had a smart mouth, so before she could hold her tongue, she was already snarking back.

"Didn't know I was putting on a performance. I'm sorry, did I forget to bow as well?"

"Please, I don't expect practice to be perfect, just don't know what you're even trying to practice."

Ray's face burned. "I'm trying to be a lead." She brought herself up to her full height and tried to regain some confidence. "It's unfair that the women are not only expected to wear high heels, but have to do all the spins and flips. Y'all have it way easier."

Zarc cocked his head at that. "Oh?"

"Why does it matter to you? Worried about having to compete with me when it comes to wooing cute girls?"

"Well i'm not sure just yet," He laughed, and she felt sparks crackle inside the pit of her stomach. "How about you give me a test run?"

"Huh?"

"I don't know any advanced stuff, but I can follow, myself. Gotta make sure I can woo cute guys away, you know." He winked, and Ray couldn't tell if this still counted as flirting or not.

But, Akaba's weren't quitters, so she grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the dance floor.

"Alright, let's start simple." Ray placed her hand on her shoulder as she usually did while dancing, but immediately something felt wrong. "Wait a sec," She tried to remember what the lead's hold was like; by now she had danced with plenty of guys, why was it so difficult to recall?"

"Here," Zarc guided her hand to the small of his back with an easy confidence. "Now what are you leading me in?"

"Let's start with a waltz I guess," Tentatively she tried the box-step, and to her miracle, it was a success. Well to be fair, she stepped on his toes a few times, but nobody fell. Ray was so proud of that accomplishment, she almost missed his next remark.

"You gonna take me anywhere? The waltz is a traveling dance after all."

Horror consumed her. What steps besides a box did she know?!

Methodically, she racked her brain. While she had enjoyed the idea of leading and being able to make her own decisions rather that having to guess what her partner wanted, she had vastly overlooked one thing. Leading required actually knowing things. For the most part as a follow she had just prayed a few times and tried her best at the moment rather than memorize any specific maneuvers.

Carefully she waited, gathering up her courage. Then she tried to do the impossible, make the box-step move forward. Painfully they inched across the floor, bumping knees and tripping over each other.

"We're getting off beat Ray–"

"I know–"

"Come on we can get back to it, one-two-three, one-two-three–"

"I don't need your help–"

"Spin me, Ray!" He twirled and fell into her arms, knocking them both to the ground.

Well, talk about a way to kill a crush…

"Hope I didn't go too far," Zarc gave a surprisingly sheepish smile as he crawled off her. "I just wanted to try out a bit of teaching myself."

"Teaching what? That I am an awful dancer and will never get it?" Ray groaned as she curled herself into a ball. "Because I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I know that pretty well already."

"Gheez there's no need to be melodramatic," Slowly he dusted himself off and stood. "Leading and following are two different skills, but they're equally difficult. Rather than try and search for a short-cut, you just need to know what you want to do and commit to that." He extended his hand down towards her. "We can try again if you like, but if you just want to guard your ego, it isn't gonna go any easier."

Ray studied his hand. Akaba's weren't quitters, but maybe she shouldn't be saying that like it was a good thing. Nobody had forced her here. Why torture herself for nothing?

But when she looked up at soft golden eyes, she remembered the pure joy Asuka and he had shared as they glided across the dance floor. Even her classmates, as clumsy as they looked in comparison, had shone with the same glow while she kept finding excuses to keep from joining them.

"I'm willing to try," Ray took his hand. "Just promise not to be a little shit this time."

"Ah come on you can't blame me for wanting to get to spin some too," He laughed and those sparks burned hot once more. As he switched positions this time and rest his hand against the small of her back, it seemed it might take more than just some tomfoolery to damper this attraction. Ugh.

"Now I've seen your type before, so you're far from a lost cause. Let me guess, you're used to be good at things aren't you?"

"Yes…" Ray pressed her chin against her chest. "I'm a perfectionist, so sue me."

"Well there is a lot to be a perfectionist about in dance, but you really can't worry about it now, especially when you're just doing it for fun. You gotta accept it when you're out of your depth."

"Easier said then done," She blew a strand of hair out of her face.

"I mean, you seem to be doing pretty ok now." Ray looked down and realized that they were doing a perfect box-step right then and there.

"How did you do that?!" She tried focusing on their movements, but just ended up tripping up before, Zarc steadied her.

"Just had to get you in your element, which seems to be anything else but dancing."

"You know you would be so much cuter if you didn't have to open that mouth so much."

At that, Zarc stumbled and nearly plummeted into her again.

"Wait, what did you say?" A flush painted his cheeks, and it seemed this time it was his turn to be out of his element.

"Just teach me that face-to-face thing." A smug smile slowly spread across her lips. This was one dance she wouldn't mind leading him in.


End file.
